Codename: Black Cat
by StarFire and Sakura
Summary: Hi! It kinda is a lot like TMM. Uses characters in the back of the first book, and Berii, and my ideas. Chapter 7 UP! Please RR! This is my first TMM fic, btw. Kinda violent in beginning, and maybe in the end.
1. The Beginning

Hi! Did you guys miss me? Probably not. But I'm back, and in a fanfic mood! Aren't you all so happy? crickets chirp…. You people are MEAN.

Sakura: Yeah. No wonder. Who cares if YOU write a fanfic?

sob sob sob Well sniffle here's the disclaimer. I hope you people unlike my stupid other half like the fic.

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own the looks of Kayami or Haru. I also do not own Berrii. I do own everybody else. And I own this story, MAN!

Chapter 1- The Beginning

RINNNNGGG!

The bell indicating the end of school rang, and hundreds of students rushed out. There was a banging as the doors flew open, allowing students to race home.

Click. Clack. Click. Clack.

The sounds of boots against the stone floor rang down the hallway. Making this noise was a girl named Kayami Kuroi, who always was one of the last out. This was because she didn't care if she was out first. She had long, straight jet-black hair, with the same color narrow eyes. Her clothes, typically, were black. She was an A+ student in every single class. She came to an abrupt halt as she heard someone else running down the hall.

"Hey, Kayami!" called a voice that belonged to none other than Berrii Niiro, not caring about her wild blonde hair flying behind her. Her brown eyes shone with excitement. She was wearing a red and white t-shirt and blue shorts. She had a red bow in her hair, and, like always, was overly peppy.

Running next to her was Haru Eimei, a timid clumsy mess (can you say Lettuce?). She was wearing jeans with a spring green t-shirt with a flower on it. It was obvious to anyone that her emerald green eyes were filled with dread. Her short green hair seemed almost wilted somehow.

"Hey Kayami!" Berrii repeated, "wanna come to the haunted house with us?"

"Haunted house?" Kayami questioned. She'd heard students gossiping about it, but had picked up no real information.

"Supposedly a horrible ghost lives there. They say it attacks everyone it sees. They say people go in there and NEVER COME OUT!" Berrii screamed in excitement while Haru cried, "Don't say that! I'm scared!" and started wailing.

"It's supposed to be the most awesome thing ever. Other than that, it's a really creepy house," she continued, while Haru nearly fainted.

"So, you coming?" she finished, hoping she could convince Kayami.

Kayami sighed. "It seems I'll have to, to make you shut up and so Haru doesn't cry every second." Berrii was shouting, "VICTORY!" while Haru was shivering.

A huge, wooden house, covered in vines with creaking doors. Haru tried to run away, but Berrii grabbed her and practically dragged her into the house.

The house itself was a maze, with twists and turns everywhere you looked. After going on for a while, Haru heard a creak and some footsteps.

_The ghost, _Haru thought, taking a while for the words to take impact. Then she let out a shriek.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Kayami whipped around, wondering what it was this time.

"O-oh… it's just you, Mizu," Haru stuttered.

Standing in a doorway was Mizu Hakuchou, a calm friend of the group. She had long blue hair and midnight color eyes. She wore a blue dress, and was a fantastic dancer. She always stayed calm, even in the worst situations.

"Why, hello, Berrii, Haru, Kayami," Mizu greeted nicely. "How are you?"

"T-Terrified," Haru replied, shivering.

"HEY! MIZU!" called another voice, as another door opened.

Standing in the doorway was Bugei Handou. She was a rough, tough girl who, unlike Mizu, acted rashly. She had short purple hair and darker purple eyes. She was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, both purple (isn't that a surprise?). Bugei was a huge fan of martial arts, and joined many sports club.

"This is awesome! We can explore it together, guys! Let's- guys?" Berrii murmured. The other four were nowhere to be found.

_We've been separated! But how? _Kayami thought. Just then, she felt it. Someone was behind her. She heard a knife, flipping through the air…

SLICE!

Kayami's hair was now not even shoulder length, as the knife whirled back to its thrower. Kayami had dodged just in time to have the dagger miss her. She kept an eye at the corner of the room, where the knife had come from. Then the culprit emerged.

His eyes were lined in purple, have purple marks all over his body. He was completely bald, with even more purple marks on his head. He had orange pants with a belt. He held a dagger, a paintbrush, and several bottles of ink were attached to his belt.

"I'm impressed…" he hissed, having a scratchy, mysterious voice. "But what makes you think you can dodge me when I'm actually trying?" In a flash, he disappeared.

_Where did he go?_ Kayami's mind screamed. That's when she felt a rush of air right behind her, as the dagger struck her across her back.

Kayami let out a shriek of pain, falling down the ground, blood falling down her back.

The other four heard this yell. They all knew something bad was happening. "Kayami!" gasped Mizu. _I have to help, but how do I get to her? _Mizu's mind screamed.

Kayami couldn't get up. _Who is he? Why is this happening? What's going on? _she wondered. _Why is he so strong?_

And then, one more thought.

_Am I going to die?_

Chapter End

Ha ha! Cliffhanger! You people better read the next chapter to find out what happens (once I have it written…) See ya next chapter! R+R please!

Starfire and Sakura, logging out


	2. The Transformation

Hello… WHY ISN'T ANYONE REVIEWING? Though, the fic is fairly new… but still! Anyway, this is going to be a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGG fic. Basically, it's like a series, only it's not on TV. Be prepared. Anyway, next chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kayami's or Haru's looks. These were made by Mia Ikumi. I also do not own Berrii. Mia Ikumi owns her too. I do own everything else. Go me!

Chapter 2- The Transformation

Kayami sent a glare at this man, if he even was human. She could tell from his grayish white skin he probably wasn't. This-whatever he was- let out an evil cackle.

"Oh, is the poor, poor girl hurt? I suppose you'd like to run home to your mommy, eh? Too bad. You can't. You're going to be my dinner."

This DEFINETELY meant he wasn't human. _Eat me? _She thought. _What the heck? Who is this freak? _

"Oh, dear. I've forgotten to introduce myself. I'm Takai Gashi. Takai for short. I'll tell you why I'm here." He paused, then continued. "I get rather hungry when I'm back home, so I came down here to get a snack. You see, I eat souls and bodies. However, it's very hard to eat souls in humans, so-" he grabbed a paintbrush and ink bottle-"I turn them into animals."

Kayami turned pale. _This is why the people never came back. They were turned into animals and then eaten…_

"In fact, I'm hungry now. I think I'll make a snack out of those other girls," Takai snickered. Kayami grew angry.

"No!" she shouted, getting up but wincing. There was now a puddle of blood on the floor, with more streaming from her back.

"Too late," he grinned evilly. In a flash he disappeared, as screams were heard from other rooms.

_No! This… there's got to be a way to beat him!_ Kayami thought, but the voice in her head said, _How?_ just as Takai returned.

"There. All five, marked and ready." He paused again, then looked surprised. "They have stronger wills than expected. They haven't transformed into animals yet. I'll just have to make do with you." He pulled out an odd ink, a horrible deep purplish black… then he took out two large paintbrushes. He dipped on brush into the ink, and the other into… the puddle of blood. Her blood.

In a flash Takai disappeared. He appeared behind her, and marked her back with the paintbrushes. From just feeling the movement of the paintbrushes she knew he was making a Japanese character. The Japanese character for cat.

A cat. She was going to turn into a cat. A wind swirled around her. She felt it. A pain growing inside of her. _No! I don't want to turn into a cat! No! No! No! _A cloud of dust circled around her. _No. _she commanded in her mind. _I… I won't… I WILL NOT TURN INTO A CAT!_

The dust lifted. Takai Gashi let out a loud gasp.

Standing there, among the dust, was Kayami. She was wearing a sleeveless black dress with a low back, a pink scarf around her neck. She was wearing black gloves and black fabric boots. Strangest of all though, were the cat ears and tail on her.

Kayami was shocked, but words flew into her head. "Black Cat Blade!" she yelled, a black sword encrusted with jewels forming in her hand.

Takai was still smiling. "Even if you have a weapon, you can't hit me!" He disappeared, reappearing behind Kayami and kicking her into the wall. Kayami used the sword to get up and regained her posture.

_He has a point… I can't follow his movements…_ suddenly, words once again flew into her head.

"Cat's Eye!" she shouted, her eyes turning from black to pink.She turned around. Behind her, as though moving in slow motion, was Takai. Furthermore, she could see where he would go next…

WHAM!

Kayami was slammed against the wall. But now… now she could dodge him and attack. He lunged for her again, this time 2 knives in his hands.

But Kayami was prepared this time. She jumped and flipped over Takai, landing, then aiming her sword. Takai was still as though in slow motion. Kayami felt the familiar rush of words…

"DEMON CAT STRIKE!"

She burst through Takai, ripping him apart, then collapsed onto the ground. She turned back into her normal clothes, but she didn't know how she was going to explain her hair getting shorter.

The next day, Kayami made up the excuse that had cut off her hair for charity. In a way, it was true. She had donated her hair to charity. But in her head, she knew that no one would ever know the truth.

That she was a kind of superhero.

End of Chapter 2

Yay! That part of the story done! Getting the next chappie up soon! Please R+R! Cya!

Preview: The Partner

She hid behind a dumpster as the monster almost hit her. _This isn't good,_ Kayami thought, remaining poised. Then the monster threw the dumpster like a basketball into the forest. It sent its giant claw straight to crush Haru.

Starfire and Sakura, logging out


	3. The Partner

Hi peoples! Please review! Please… PLEASE! I beg of you.

Sakura: Please review… she gets crazier when you don't. PLEASE SAVE ME!

SHUT UP! bounds and gags Sakura, then locks in closet ;

Disclaimer: Own this fanfic, but I do not own how Kayami and Haru and Berrii look. That was Mia Ikumi. Lucky person.

Chapter 3- The Partner

"DEMON CAT STRIKE!" The giant dog monster (teehee) was split in half, its body fading as a regular dog stood there, unharmed for the most part. The news people rushed to the scene as Kayami jumped up on a building, her back turned.

"Ma'am! At least tell us your name!" a reporter yelled. Kayami thought she should at least give a… superhero name or something. She paused, then spoke.

"Codename: Black Cat," she stated, and with that, she disappeared.

"Did you hear about Black Cat?"

"She's, like, totally awesome!"

"She's got cat ears and a_ tail!_"

"A kitty superhero! Me-_ow!_"

There didn't seem to be anyone in the school who wasn't talking about Black Cat except Kayami, of course. It was hard to believe she had drawn so much attention. She also found out that her face had been seen on television. Because she was a student genius, she figured out there was some sort of chemical in the air around her that caused people's brains unable to make the connection that the faces of Kayami and Black Cat were the same.

_Good thing. Otherwise, everyone would be saying, "Omigosh! You're Black Cat?" I'd probably be taken by the government for experiments._

She walked into the classroom, and soon class started. The teacher, Ms. Wakamoto, was handing out tests from the other day.

Kayami, of course, got 104, when someone let out a yell. "WHAT?"

It turned out to be none other than Haru, holding a test that had the grade 36 marked in red. "B-But this can't be right!"

"It is right, Miss Eimei. And unless you want to fail Vocabulary, I suggest you accept this author and get tutored under Kayami."

Kayami sighed in her head. She was always tutoring people, and they always did better on tests and homework afterward.

"In addition," the teacher continued, "for a week you have to clean the alleyway between the school buildings after your tutoring."

"Y-Y-Y-Yes Ms. Wakamoto!"

This was the 3rd day of Haru's tutoring. She was picking up garbage and slowly putting it in the dumpster, Kayami watching from the side, helping occasionally. However, this punishment was interrupted by a shadow moving on the wall.

_What?_ Kayami thought. The shadow disappeared, but soon after a rat started growing larger… and larger…

The rat had become a monster like all the others. It growled and raised its enormous claw. Haru screamed and ducked as the claw nearly made impact.

Kayami jumped back in the shadows. "Black Cat Metamorphosis!" she hissed, careful not to let Haru hear. In a flash she was Black Cat. She jumped out of the shadows, only to be hit by the rat monster. She slid back, then called out for her weapon.

"Black ca-" she started, but the monster scratched her, causing her to go flying. The monster turned its attention to Haru.

She hid behind a dumpster as the monster almost hit her. _This isn't good,_ Kayami thought, remaining poised. Then the monster threw the dumpster like a basketball into the forest. It sent its giant claw straight to crush Haru.

Suddenly, from Haru's wrist, there was a flash. Kayami realized… the mark. That guy- Takai, was it? - marked all of them. Haru's was activating now. There was a flash of light.

The monster's claw finally fell down upon Haru. But it didn't crush her. Standing there, holding up the monster's claw, was Haru, but her outfit had changed…

She was wearing a light green dress, nearly sleeveless. A large same colored bow was tied around her neck. She had bandages around her wrists and ankles. She was wearing slightly darker green boots. She also had grey mouse ears and a grey mouse tail.

She jumped out of the way, causing the paw to slam down upon the earth. She took one second to look down at her clothes. "Wha-Wha-Wha-?" she stuttered. "WHAT?" she screamed.

Haru was completely freaking out. "Haru!" Kayami yelled. "Call for your weapons!"

Haru just stood there for a moment, then an odd look came upon her face. Kayami knew she was feeling the rush of words…

"GREEN MOUSE DAGGERS!" she shouted, 2 jagged daggers appearing in her hands (they're like Kite's from .hack/Legend of the Twilight Bracelet). "Let's go," Kayami instructed, jumping. Haru followed pursuit. "BLACK CAT BLADE!" Kayami yelled, the sword appearing in her hand. "Now…." She murmured, readying for the attack.

"SPRING MOUSE CROSS-SLASH!"

"DEMON CAT STRIKE!"

The two attacks combined utterly destroyed the monster. Haru just looked at Kayami nervously, as Kayami sighed.

After they had detransformed, Kayami explained to Haru what had happened. Haru started freaking out, but Kayami was finally able to calm her down.

The next day at school, Kayami and Haru exchanged glances. _Well, _Kayami thought, _seems like I have a partner._

End of Chapter 3

Yay! Three chapters down, about 96539275698364287 more to go! x.x Anyway. Please R+R! I'll have Chapter 4 up soon, hopefully, but right now I'm sick. I shouldn't even be on the comp. Anyway, seeya next chapter!

Starfire and Sakura, logging out


	4. The Reason

Hello! This will be a special chapter. The reason is… on this site, someone commented on how all shoujo (magical girl manga) are the same. This chapter is to especially rule one of the points out. Let the chapter begin! On a side note, thanks to Ariana and mexkish I wish for being the only reviewers. Please encourage your friends to do the same. Even if you hate this fanfic and it's the worst one in the world! PLEASE! REVIEW! kneels and begs

Disclaimer: I do not own Kayami, Haru, and Berrii's looks. I own everything else.

Chapter 4- The Reason

"Spring Mouse Cross-slash!"

"Demon Cat Strike!"

The monster was destroyed, the impact unfortunately killing the deer it was created from. That brought up another question Kayami wondered about. _How are the monsters created?_ Then the news people, ever so persistent, raced for the scene. Haru had made herself known as Green Mouse. Quickly they disappeared and headed home.

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Haru lay on her bed, troubled by her thoughts. She knew she had powers and all that,

but… she didn't want to fight. Regular life was hard enough. Why did she, out of all people, have to deal with a heroine life too? It wasn't fair. Why? Why?

Haru got up, and thought about it. Maybe she should talk to Kayami about it…

_I'll let it wait till morning… _she thought. _I'm so tired from today…_

The next day, Haru woke up at 10:00 AM. It was a Saturday, so they had no school. She hurriedly got ready and then told her mother, Mari Eimei, she was going out. She had been to Kayami's house before; Kayami's parents had thrown a party. She quickly ran over to the huge house, and walked to the door.

She was slightly nervous. She had never actually gone in the house, because the party had been outside. She let out a breath, then rang the doorbell.

Almost in a flash, Mrs. Kuroi answered the door. "Why, hello," she greeted kindly. "Aren't you Mari's daughter?" Haru nodded yes. "Why are you here?"

"I came to see Kayami," Haru told her. "Oh! You're Kayami's friend? Well, come in, come in!"

The house seemed even bigger on the inside. From Haru's point of view, it was like a mansion. "I think Kayami's in the library," Mrs. Kuroi said, indicating a door on the left. "Be careful; you can get lost in there!" Letting out a small giggle, she went to what seemed to be the kitchen.

_Wow! Mrs. Kuroi is really cheerful. Nothing like Kayami._ Haru walked up some stairs to get to the indicated room, then pushed open the door.

Haru's jaw dropped. The room was filled with books! Crammed to what seemed to be every inch… when, behind a wall of novels, a large amount of bookshelves were empty (If you've seen Read or Die or Full Metal Alchemist, it's like Yomiko or Scieszka's rooms. Except bigger. Yes, even bigger then Yomiko's warehouse thing…). _When Mrs. Kuroi said you could get lost she wasn't kidding! How am I supposed to find Kayami in this?_ Just then, Haru heard a familiar voice call out in an unfamiliar language.

"_Dove possiamo trovare rifugio? Quando finirà la nostra sofferenza?" _Although it was foreign, Haru thought the words sounded beautiful. _Follow the sound, _she thought, _it's definitely Kayami reading or something. _She tried to follow the voice, but failed, and tried not to knock over any pile of books as she wandered around the area. Kayami continued speaking.

"_La nostra salvezza è a portata di mano. Noi saremo liberati da questa prigione_." This time, along with the flow of the words, Haru felt like there was some… importance to them. A message, that was it. She followed where the voice had come from just as Kayami started again.

"_Comunque, morte è a portata di mano vicina. La dea di morte penzolerà il suo falcetto, e la notte sarà coperta in sangue." _ At these words, Haru felt a chill. She felt an air of horror, something dreadful. But Kayami was close now.

"_E come io parlo a bassa voce le mie ultime parole..." _Kayami murmured, and Haru felt uneasy once more.

"_Io sento un giunco di aria come lei entra nel mio mezzo." _At this Haru finally saw Kayami, sitting on some shorter piles of books, her face in an old novel. Kayami looked up at Haru and asked, "Why are you here?"

_Oh yeah! _Because of the foreign language, Haru had almost forgotten why she was here.

"Well… you know how we're fighting monsters and all?" she started. Kayami nodded. "Well… well… I… I don't want to! It's hard enough for me to deal with normal life, let alone a superhero one! I mean, all these things, how come we have to do it? How come we were chosen?"

"We weren't."

"I mean-what?"

"We weren't chosen." Kayami said earnestly, getting up. "There are many people with strong wills in the world. It was by coincidence that we were the first strong willed people to go in there. Other people, all around Japan, all around the world, might have gone there first. It was coincidence. You don't have to fight."

Haru blinked. She didn't…? Then Haru asked Kayami something.

"Then why do you fight?"

"Because I'm not going to let anyone get hurt. And," Kayami added, "I'm not going to let those monsters kill me."

Kayami started walking through a path in the books and murmured, "_Io lo faccio perché io sono io sono chi._" Haru stared, dumbfounded, and then made a promise to herself.

_I will fight. To protect everyone, and… to become stronger. I don't want to be weak anymore!_

As Kayami exited the library, she thought about what she said, and knew it was true.

Io lo faccio perché io sono io sono chi.

_I do it because I am who I am._

Keeping this in mind, she walked out the door.

End of Chapter 4

I have to say, I didn't mean for the chapter to be as long as it is. I meant for it to be short. But it ended up being really long. Anyway, R+R please!

Sakura: Yes, please, before she goes off on another mass murder…

Starfire and Sakura, logging off


	5. The Crumbling

Hello! I'm here again. I hope I can keep up the attention span to finish this story. x.x;;; Anyway, answering one review. (Yes, I, who normally never answer reviews, will do that.)

Nyaa-Neko- Thank you for pointing out the spelling, especially since I'm going to be writing Berii a lot this chapter. Thank you for just REVIEWING! Almost nobody has.

Okay… in case you didn't notice, there's a kind of spoiler in one of the past chapters. But I'm not going to tell you which one. So, go find it! Anyway, let the story… begin!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kayami, Haru, or Berii. They belong to Mia Ikumi. I also do not own Berii's battle outfit. That belongs to CLAMP.

Chapter 5- The Crumbling

Kayami sat and listened to the teacher's speech, her mind calm. For once, for a couple of days, there hadn't been a monster. Even Haru was calmer. Kayami knew it wouldn't last long, though. She let out a soft sigh.

School was over in a couple of hours and Kayami slowly walked to the gym. She was to be a judge for a gymnastics competition. Haru decided to tag along, calling her mom and telling her. They finally reached the gym.

"Alright! Kayami, please take your seat over THERE! And Haru, as I suppose you're a spectator, go sit over THERE!" shouted Kati, a loud mouth moron. Both of the two did as indicated and the competition began.

"Up first… Berii Niiro!" Berii walked onto the platform, obviously ready to perform. "Ready…. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Kati shouted, and Berii went through the "obstacle course" that had been set out for her.

First a cartwheel, then a back flip. Berii completed all the things with ease, and speedily as well. Finally, she finished, the time being 3:42.

"I say a 9. Her moves were sloppy." Mr. Ugarashi said, being a strict gymnastics coach. "Nonsense, nonsense, she should get a 10!" Mrs. Kudu, a kind gym teacher replied. "What do you think, Kayami?" Mrs. Kudu asked. A contestant had to get 2 out of 3 10s.

Kayami was silent. "A 10. I could tell she performed it with ease," Kayami murmured.

"Good, good!" Mrs. Kudu scribbled something down on a piece of paper, then gave it to Kati.

"Berii…" Kati started, Berii crossing her fingers, "YOU PASS!" There was a loud cheer as the girls gathered around Berii. "I did it! I made it to the championships!" Berii exclaimed. She was positively beaming.

Her happiness was short lived. She had to clean up in the science lab because she made a ruckus in class earlier that day. And who should be supervising other than Kayami! _Lucky they dissect tomorrow, _Berii thought, sweeping the floor. "My t-shirt is gonna get ruined…" Berii muttered. Kayami looked at the shirt, the "I LOVE USA!" being written like the USA flag. Berii had gone there for 2 years. She was also wearing jeans. "I hope I don't have to clean tomorrow," Berii grumbled. That was when Berii thought she saw something move.

"Wha-What?" Berii stuttered. Kayami grew still. She had seen it as well. "Well, well," she heard a male voice call out, "let's see how you deal with this one!" The closet that kept the frogs was flung open, a frog monster hopped out. Berii screamed as the monster advanced on her. Kayami just stood there, knowing she couldn't transform in front of Berii. Then the monster's tongue was unleashed and it knocked Kayami out of the room.

_Thanks, frog,_ Kayami thought. She shouted, "BLACK CAT METAMORPOSIS!" and there was Black Cat. She jumped into the room, summoning her sword. "Demo-" she was interrupted by the monster's tongue wrapping around her sword, and swinging her right in front its mouth. The mouth opened wide, getting ready to devour its prey.

"B-Black Cat!" Suddenly Berii's eyes widened. "Wait… _Kayami?"_ she gasped. _She… she knows…? Of course! She was in the haunted house too! _Kayami thought. Her thoughts were interrupted when she was moved closer to the mouth.

"_Kayami! No!" _Berii shrieked. A light glowed from the back of her neck. There was a bright flash and standing there was Berii... with rabbit ears and tail.

She was wearing a dress with a white shirt under a pink part. A bit around her middle was white, and she was wearing a ruffled pink skirt. Her sleeves were the same as her skirt. She was wearing white gloves and tall white boots.

"A-Awesome!" Berii exclaimed. "Berii!" Kayami called. She was inside its mouth…

"KAYAMI!" Berii yelled. "That's it! White Rabbit Wand!" A pink, yellow, and white wand with a clear gem fell into Berii's hand. "Bright Rabbit Flash!" There was a rush of light, and the monster was destroyed. Kayami jumped down, unscathed for the most part, and looked down at the frog the monster was created from. She heard a familiar voice calling.

"Kayami! Berii!" Haru yelled. She looked in to find Berii and Kayami and the frog on the floor. "There was a monster?"

"Yes, of course there was a monster!" a voice called out. They all turned and looked out the window. Standing, or should I say floating, was a male teenager. Except for the fact that his ears were like elves' and he had a strange outfit on.

He had on a green coat, with a lighter green vest and shorts. He had fabric boots like Kayami, except that they were the same green as his coat. On his hands were black gloves. His hair, in a short ponytail, was a fiery red, and his eyes were a bluish green, like a perfect mixture of sapphire and emerald.

"Hello, little pests. My name is Tenrai." Kayami suddenly realized… he was the same figure as the shadow on the wall. "So," she murmured, "you're the one creating the monsters."

"Very good! You see, I am a Leitha Elena. We are the people who are not bound to the stars as other races are. We are conquerors. And I've been sent to conquer earth. Takai was supposed to cut down the population, so it would be easier. However," he muttered, "one day I didn't feel his energy. I found out what happened, and so my master ordered me to send Umea Laman to eliminate those who killed him! Only you're pretty tough. Nice meeting you! I'll see you later, you three. Have fun with the other Umea Laman. Bye!" He faded away as the three felt a tremble in the ground.

"Green Mouse Metamorphosis!" Haru shouted, soon transformed into Green Mouse. The three opened the windows and saw, to their horror, a giant frog monster, destroying the school. "If we don't stop it, it'll destroy the whole town," Kayami said in alert.

"So let's GO!" Berii yelled, and the three took off.

"Black Cat Blade!"

"Green Mouse Daggers!"

Together, they shouted their attacks.

"Bright Rabbit Flash!"

"Demon Cat Strike!"

"Spring Mouse Cross-Slash!"

However, the attacks did nothing to the giant frog. "No way!" Berii exclaimed.

Kayami looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, "Cat's Eye!" She used it to pinpoint its weak point… there!

"Berii, Haru, go for its eyes!" Kayami instructed, readying herself for attack. Both attacked, and the monster thrashed about, destroying some of the building. Then Kayami leaped forward.

"DEMON CAT STRIKE!" she shouted, hitting a soft spot in the middle of the eyes. The monster was cut in half, and about 30 frogs appeared.

There was a loud rumbling noise, and the already crumbling part of the school toppled over, destroying what was still standing. The three stood in silence for a moment, and Berii said, "Well, seems like we're going to have to go to another school now."

End of Chapter 5

Yay! Yay! Anyway, I know Niiro isn't Berii's real last name, but I don't care. I just randomly made it up and I'm not going to change it. Please R+R people! Seeya next chapter!

Sakura: Please review! Before she kills someone! Namely me!

Bye!

Starfire and Sakura, logging out


	6. The Courage

Hello! Response to reviews first of all!

Mews Skittle and Ramen- I know she was in another series, but I'm using her for this story'n'all (though I myself haven't read the story). Arigatou for reviewing!

Nyaa Neko- I know they aren't Japanese names, but I was just randomly making them up. As for paragraphing, I may go over and change that, but it's not a horribly important asset. Same as above! Arigatou!

Yay! I'm on chapter 6! WOW! I feel so… so… accomplished. Okay, let's begin!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kayami, Haru, Berii, or Berii's battle outfit, but I own everything else. Except Kayami's poem thing. That belongs to my friend Urufu.

Chapter 6- The Courage

Kayami slowly pushed open the door to the school. After the giant frog incident, she had moved to a new school, called Edogawa (Conan! Bua ha ha!) High. As she walked through the hallway, she noticed quite a few people staring at her, whispering and glancing back to see if she heard them.

Berii's locker was right next to Haru's, and Kayami's locker was a few down from the two. Berii looked at Kayami and Haru and began to speak.

"Why do you think everyone's staring at us? It's not like we're from another planet," she muttered. Kayami looked around and saw a boy with long, black hair (Keiichiro's hairstyle, but black). He had narrow gray eyes and was wearing a black coat with a grey shirt, along with black pants.

"Berii," Kayami murmured, "do you know who he is?" She pointed at the boy, who was now getting a few textbooks out of his locker.

"Oh, him? I picked up some info about just about everyone in the school. So that's… oh! That's Kageri Zappaku. He's kinda like you, Kayami. He's more of a loner but he's really smart and all. He's got a few friends but they're nothing like him," Berii stated. With another glance at Kageri, Kayami started walking to her first class.

Kageri sighed. Life was just too cruel. He had seen a long girl with golden hair talking to a green haired mousy girl, both of them looking at him. Gossiping, probably. He turned around, and saw a girl with short black hair.

Although he had never seen her before, he sensed an air of mystery around her, and as he looked into her eyes he saw a depth of intelligence unlike any he had ever seen. It had to be a transfer student, probably from that school that had collapsed. A friend named Hashi walked by, and Kageri caught his attention.

"That girl," he said, indicating Kayami. "Who is she?"

"Oh, that girl? Well… I think I heard the girls gossiping about her, typical of them. I think her name is Kayami, and she's an A+ student. Rumor has it that she was offered the opportunity to skip 4 years of school! I can't believe she declined it," he muttered.

"Kayami…" Kageri whispered. She was definitely different. _Definitely, _Kageri thought. _No doubt. There's just something about her…_

At the end of the day, the teacher passed around a sheet that said the Tachigara Dance Academy was putting on a performance. _Tachigara… _Kayami thought. _I've heard that before… _Then it hit her. It was the dance academy Mizu went to. _Just in case… _Kayami thought.

Later

Berii walked up to Kayami's door, panting from the long walk. _Why'd I have to come over, anyway?_

Flashback

Berii was in the kitchen, making a sandwich. She gave a sigh. It was quiet. Too quiet. Her mother was out as a part time nurse. Her two brothers had a basketball game, which her father was attending. So she was alone. She hated being alone. She finished putting together her sandwich and began watching TV. Then the phone started ringing.

Berii picked up the phone and said, "Hello. Niiro residence." She hated saying that because it sounded so… formal or something, but if the phone call wasn't for her it would sound impolite or something.

"Berii," Kayami murmured on the other end, "I need you to come to my house in an hour."

"W-Why?" Berii questioned, surprised. Kayami never called anyone.

"Just be there." Click.

_The nerve of her! Telling me to come over then hanging up! I will come over to give her a piece of my mind! _

End Flashback

She rang the doorbell, still panting. Because no one was home, she had to walk all the way there. Mrs. Kuroi answered the door, and through the doorway Berii could see Haru.

"Hi Berii! I was just about to ask where Kayami was. Not... in the library, right?" she asked nervously. Mrs. Kuroi laughed.

"I forgot, you've been in the library before! Kayami said to wait in her room and that she'd be a minute." She directed them to Kayami's room and walked elsewhere in the huge house.

They opened the door to Kayami's room and looked around in wonder. The room itself was basically all black. There was a dark gray dresser, with a tall mirror bordered with black, carvings etched into the wood. On the dresser was lots of paper, things scribbled on each and every one. There was also a folder on the dresser, stuffed to the max with even more paper. Also on the dresser were a light, a CD player, and a CD case. There was a small desk with a laptop on it, Berii noting it was a brand new one. There was a bookcase full of books with books on top of it. Books were also on the floor. Right next to the bookcase was a circular black chair. Kayami's bed was concealed by a circular canopy curtain (try saying that five times fast!). As the two girls looked closer, they noticed the walls had designs, marks that meant nothing at all.

Kayami stepped into the room and closed the door. She was clutching something red and white in her hand.

"Hi. You're probably wondering why I told you to come here," she said quietly. "The reason is this." She showed them what she was holding. They were three tickets to that show Mizu was performing at.

"Wait. Why are we going to it?" Berii inquired confusingly.

"Mizu was in the haunted house too. If they find out about her they may attack so she doesn't have to chance to become like us. And if she doesn't have a strong enough will, or she doesn't transform in time, we need to be there to destroy the Umea Laman," she announced, using the correct word for the monsters. She handed them each a ticket.

"Anyway, that's basically it. You can stay for a little if you want, but there's really nothing to see." With that, Kayami walked out of the room. Haru looked around. She ended up sitting in the chair, picking up one of the books and started to read it. A minute later she got out a dictionary.

Berii looked around Kayami's dresser. Opening one of the drawers, she saw Kayami's school pictures since kindergarten. She looked at the picture from 6th grade (they're in 7th grade now) and stared at it. Most of all, she stared at Kayami's eyes. Endless voids of darkness… too deep to go into, too black to see… she shook her head. She felt scared. She quickly closed the drawer and opened the folder. She pulled out a paper and read it.

I cry tears of blood

And celebrate the darkness of it all

I drink up the torment

And spit out pain

I cry deeply with my sorrows

The heartache never ceasing

This seething, cultured unrest

Binds me to all that I am

I am an unholy child

A demon amongst 'angels'

No hatred flows from me

Only sorrow and a crimson plight

Make hallow my emotions

As I rise before thee

Dine on my self-deceiving

Quench your thirst with my message

Not even the gates of hell would open for me

I am vile in my nature

A hapless, dark wanderer of narrow streets

I shall never find peace

Death shall never calm my soul

I will forever wander on

Borne from the shadows which are my home

I wander on through time

Seeking no one, finding nothing

This is what I'm fated to be

A heartless creature bound to darkness

My pain is real

Can you not see it in everything I am?

Berii's eyes were filled with fear. She didn't bother securing the paper in the folder, slamming it shut. She ran out the door, leaving Haru very confused. Berii quickly ran out of the house and back home. Kayami's eyes. Kayami's "poem." She was scared of both. _What… what exactly is Kayami? _she wondered.

The Day of the Dancing Show

Berii entered the building, clutching the ticket firmly. Ever since they had gone into Kayami's room, she had been wary around Kayami. Haru had been confused, and Kayami just silent.

Little did she know that Kayami knew Berii had read that poem. That night, she had gone in her room and opened the folder. She saw that the paper wasn't put into the flaps, and knew that one of them had read it. When Berii started being nervous around Kayami, the black haired girl knew Berii was the one who had read it.

In any case, Berii went to where the ticket listed. Seat 5F. It was one of the best seats in the entire building. She saw Haru and Kayami sitting there, waiting for her. She sighed in relief as she realized she wasn't sitting next to Kayami. She took her place and soon the recital began.

The dancers looked beautiful, but in comparison to Mizu, they were nothing. Her lithe body moved across the stage, gracefully twirling. However, she stopped when there was a loud CRASH as part of the stage collapsed, nearly crushing the blue haired dancer.

The culprit was a giant octopus, its huge red tentacles ready to strike.

"Guys…" Kayami murmured, and the three shouted the words to transform. White Rabbit, Green Mouse, and Black Cat were soon facing the giant sea creature, the audience evacuating and screaming. They were about to attack when they heard a shriek.

The octopus held Mizu in one of its tentacles. She was flailing about, trying to get free when the monster moved. It went to a lake, which made sense-octopi were sea creatures.

Out of nowhere, Tenrai appeared, floating over the creature.

"Yo," he greeted casually. He floated down to Mizu. "Wow, you're pretty cute." He held her by the chin as her eyes were wide with fear. His face was close to hers, and then he gave her a light kiss. Mizu's eyes widened even more in surprise, as did Berii's and Haru's. Kayami had the same emotionless expression.

"Who knows? Maybe they'll let me take you back and I'll make you my bride," (he's just so like Kish) Tenrai said. Out of nowhere, another figure appeared.

It was a female, with short gray hair and sapphire blue eyes. She had a cross between wings and hands, and she had talons instead of feet.

"A harpy… or… she's fused with a bird? Like us?" Kayami murmured. The harpy, or whatever she was, spoke in a low voice.

"Tenrai, what are you doing, fooling around with humans? We have a mission, you know," she scolded. "But allow me to introduce myself. I am Katsu. I am like you, for I am fused with a 'bald eagle.' I'm not sure why they call it this, but I don't care. I've been sent here to rip you apart."

"Don't get this one, though," Tenrai said playfully, indicating Mizu. "I want to bring her back with us."

Katsu gave an exasperated sigh and eyed her targets.

"Which one should I get first?" she asked herself. Kayami was silent for a moment, then whispered to the other two.

"Haru, help Mizu get free. Berii, I trust you to fight Tenrai. I myself will defeat Katsu," Kayami instructed. Both of them gave a nod, making sure they were ready.

"Let's go!" Kayami shouted, and with that, they summoned their weapons.

"Black Cat Blade!"

"Green Mouse Daggers!"

"White Rabbit Wand!"

The three jumped and headed for their targets. Berii held up her wand, the gem in it glowing.

"Bright Rabbit Flash!" she shouted, and a beam of light was emitted from her wand. Tenrai quickly dodged it and reappeared behind her, knocking her down onto a sidewalk.

"Spring Mouse Cross-Slash!" Haru cut off one of the monsters tentacles, but it regrew.

"Wh-What? Oh no!" Haru cried. Why did they ALWAYS have to be so hard to defeat? She tried attacking the tentacle that was wrapped around Mizu, but her attack was always blocked by one of the other tentacles.

Kayami jumped up and started to attack when in an instant Katsu had nun-chucks in her hand.

"If both your item and mine touch, the explosion will kill us both!" the evil harpy cackled. Kayami changed the direction of the blade and attacked at the ground. The force made her fly up in the air, and she grabbed the harpy's wing, pulling her down to the ground. Both of them quickly recovered and Katsu went airborne again.

"You're pretty good… no wonder you were the one to defeat Takai…" she snickered. "But I'm much stronger than him!" She lunged for Kayami, who easily dodged.

"Now… Death Eagle Shot!" Katsu shouted, and she twirled around the nun-chucks, which produced a ball of energy that was soon shot at Kayami. Kayami dodged, but saw that the beam had produced quite a large crater. She had to think fast, otherwise she would die. She thought for a moment…

_It's risky, but it's the only way, _she thought. Jumping, she charged up her blade.

"You wouldn't dare!" Katsu cried. "I already said, it would kill both of us!" Haru, Tenrai, and Berii had stopped to watch the battle. Even the octopus seemed to be paying attention.

"Demon…" Kayami started. _She wouldn't… she wouldn't do that, would she? _Katsu thought, and for the first time she was frightened.

"Cat…" _N-No! She wouldn't! I… I won't die! She wouldn't! _Even though she thought that, she didn't believe it.

"Blade!" The glowing sword made impact with the nun-chucks, and there was an explosion with a flash of light.

"Kayami!" Haru screeched. The light faded, and on the ground was Katsu, dying.

"She must be dead as well…" she croaked. Then the sound of footsteps was heard, and out of the darkness came Kayami, wounded but not ripped apart like Katsu.

"You… but… how?" Katsu questioned in astonishment.

"If you know where the opponent is you can dodge them. My opponent this time was the explosion," Kayami murmured. She blinked, and her eyes were pink.

"Y…You…" Katsu fell silent, and the body disappeared, only a red stone being left. The red stone crumbled, and soon all that was left of Katsu was dust. Kayami stepped forward.

"Berii," she murmured, "let's hurry up and defeat him." Then Berii noticed. Kayami was more hurt than she acted. She was bleeding all over, with bruises on her as well. She had an ugly wound on her stomach, where the dress had ripped.

"Kayami…" Berii murmured.

"Demon Cat Strike!" Kayami shouted, and she lunged at Tenrai. He summoned a weapon- a red rod that was glowing a blood red. Just the impact of the weapons made blood fly from Kayami's wounds. She was flung back into the ground.

"Kayami!" Berii yelled. Kayami staggered, but got back up. Berii's eyes were filled with fear. _Kayami's so brave, _she thought. _She's still standing up, even when she's wounded and hurt! But… why? _

Then it hit her. _Kayami… don't tell me… you're doing it to protect me? _She had not been able to defeat Tenrai on her own. Tenrai would've destroyed her, but Kayami would not back down. _Even though I'm afraid of her and dislike her a little… she's still protecting me?_

Then a fire grew up inside Berii. _I can't let her do this! She wants to protect me, now it's my turn! _Berii held up her staff.

"Kayami," she ordered sharply, "don't move. I'm going to defeat him." Kayami, for once, showed emotion, as a shocked expression ran across her face. As Kayami looked in Berii's eyes, she saw determination and courage building up. So she stayed still.

_Time to use your head, Berii, _she told herself. She jumped up, staff in hand. She looked at the way he was positioned carefully. _He's going to dodge... to… the right! _Just as she was about to hit him, both of them moved in the same direction, and she hit him dead on with her Bright Rabbit Flash.

Tenrai dropped into the water, then scurried back out.

"Why, you-!" He was interrupted by a flash, coming from Mizu's ankle. _It's activating, _Kayami realized. _The mark. _

In an instant, Mizu had grown a dolphin's tail and a fin was coming out of her back. Her outfit was a light blue swimsuit, becoming a darker blue skirt that was longer in the back than in the front. Her shoes were small and soft, like ballet shoes, and were midnight blue, like her eyes. From a little below her wrists to a little below her shoulders was a see through arm cover (I dunno how to describe it). She looked shocked at her new clothing but words came to her mouth.

"Blue Dolphin Tambourines!" she called, and in her hands she held decorated tambourines with blue gems and many other things. More words came to her.

"Deepsea Dolphin Wave!" A rush of water was shot from the tambourines and cut through the tentacle, allowing Mizu to escape. The tentacle quickly grew back, however, and Mizu wondered…

"Deepsea Dolphin Wave!" she shouted. The tentacle was cut off again, and as it started regrowing, she attacked it again. This time, the tentacle did not regrow.

When this was done to 4 of the tentacles, the octopus tottered dangerously. Before they could do anything, the octopus was falling- right toward Kayami.

Haru, without thinking, jumped in front of Kayami, when words came to her.

"Mouse's Might!" she yelled, and when the octopus hit her hands, she found herself lifting it up. She pushed it back into the water, then realized what she had just done.

"Oh. My. Gosh." She whispered, staring at her own hands as though they were aliens.

Meanwhile, the battle between Tenrai and Berii continued. Their weapons crossed, and they were both moving as fast as they could. Then Berii managed to get in two consecutive shots. Tenrai again plunged into the water, and Mizu and Haru defeated the octopus.

"I'll see you later, girls," Tenrai said charmingly. He teleported right next to Mizu and gave her a peck on the cheek, whispering "Bye, cutie", then disappeared.

Kayami, with Berii's help, got up to greet Mizu. Mizu was silent.

"Hey, Mizu, gr-" Haru started, but Mizu turned to her with tears in her eyes, diving into the lake. She hadn't gone deep enough that you couldn't see her, but she wasn't going to come out anytime soon.

"She'll drown!" Haru said alertly, looking at the water. She had never been a good swimmer.

"No," Kayami murmured. "I think because she's merged with a sea creature, she can breathe. But she's freaked out. She'll never want to come out of there, because she's scared of what she is."

Haru looked with concern at Mizu. She couldn't let Mizu stay in there. Mizu was one of them. She had to help, somehow…

She held a hand to her heart and looked down into the water. Then, before anyone could say anything, she dove in.

"_Haru!" _Berii shrieked, and she made to go in after her. She was held back by Kayami grabbing her shirt.

"What are you doing? Haru can't swim! I have to help her!" Kayami shook her head, and stared intently at the water.

Haru managed her way down to Mizu, and somehow, without words, they spoke to each other.

_Mizu, it's alright. The rest of us are like you. It's okay!_

_No… it's not… I… I'm a freak! Dancing is my life, Haru… If people found out…_

_It doesn't matter. They won't find out. It's okay, Mizu. You can be with us and help us destroy these monsters. That way, no one will get hurt!_

_But… _

_No buts, Mizu. You'll be okay with us. You can trust us. _

Then Haru ran out of air. She covered her mouth and flailed helplessly, trying desperately to swim up, but failing.

"Haru!" Mizu shouted, and for the first time she realized she could talk underwater. She hurriedly swam to Haru, but she knew she couldn't swim up fast enough. Then the familiar feeling, when words were coming into her head…

"Dolphin Bubble!" she yelled, and surrounding the two was a bubble, filled with oxygen. It was moving to the surface of the water.

"Kayami, look!" Berii exclaimed, staring in wonder as something rose from the water. It was a giant bubble, and inside it were Mizu and a very weak Haru.

"They're okay!" Berii said in relief. Kayami managed to stand up on her own and walked to the edge of the lake. The bubble came right next to Kayami and Berii, and then broke, allowing Mizu and Haru to rest on land again.

"Why didn't you just destroy them?" a cold voice asked.

"What do you think I'm trying to do? It's not my fault they're strong… and Dolphin-Girl is cute, too…" Tenrai replied, obviously in a bad mood.

"It seems I'll have to employ another to assist you… Sasuga!"

At this name, Tenrai clenched his fists. Why did it have to be _him, _of all people? This was the worst thing that could have happened.

A figure appeared, quiet as a mouse. The voice gave both of them instructions, and they headed off.

Tenrai was even more upset. _This is going to mean more trouble for us and them…_

End of Chapter 6

Finally done! Geez. Anyway, sorry it took so long. I've been slacking. Hope you like my story. And, I know, it wasn't really a good chapter ending but… whatever. Sorry I couldn't update for a few days, here are my reasons. 1. I've been slacking. 2. This chapter, at least to me, is long. 3. I couldn't sign in to for whatever reason.

Sakura: Please review. For the sake of humanity, review. Otherwise she'll probably stalk you down and kill you…

:insane laughter: See ya next chapter!

Starfire and Sakura, logging out


	7. The Fighter

Hi! Yay! Now… I will respond to reviews. Though so far barely anyone has reviewed chapter 6. :sob sob:

Mew Koshou- Well, I'm updating now.  Arigatou for reviewing.

Niwa: Hi Hi. You need to read the entire thing! Bye. Arigatou for the reviewing services.

Let's get started.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kayami, Haru, Berii, and any of their battle outfits. I also don't own Kageri's hairstyle. XD

Chapter 7The Fighter

Tenrai lay on his bed, looking up at the ceiling. Why'd it have to be Sasuga of all people? Couldn't it have been another one of the thousands of creatures the Master ruled over? He sighed.

_Things are going to go bad from here, _he thought sourly. _The only one he'll be helping is himself, and maybe the Master. _Suddenly the door of his room opened.

"Hello. We've been given a new target," Sasuga reported coldly. "And I heard the Master calling you _Tenrai." _Tenrai just sent a glare in Sasuga's direction.

"Just tell me the target," Tenrai replied, just as coldly. Sasuga gave a small smirk, satisfied that he had upset the fiery youth.

"This is our target," He said, holding out a piece of paper. "Roughly where it is, anyway. And after that, we have another job." He held out another piece of paper, and as Tenrai read it he was slightly confused.

"Why do we have to do that?"

"Because it would be the last thing anyone would expect," Sasuga answered. Tenrai then understood.

"But… since our business is done, _kindly _GET OUT OF MY ROOM!" Tenrai yelled, being quiet so they wouldn't draw attention. Sasuga just laughed.

"Okay… good-bye, _Tenrai," _Sasuga snickered as he left. Tenrai now hated him more than ever. He grabbed his pillow and threw it at the wall to vent some of his anger. This was going to be the worst day ever. Worse than the day he would die.

At Earth

"Come on! Tell me!" Mizu commanded. Bugei just closed her locker, and tried to stop Mizu from looking in it. Then Berii, Haru and Kayami walked up.

"Mizu… what's going on…?" Haru said confusedly. Mizu tried to persuade Bugei a little more before answering.

"Bugei likes someone!" she managed before Bugei blushed furiously and put a hand over Mizu's mouth.

"Shut _up! _I do not!" Bugei hissed. Her face, however, was red with embarrassment, and she tried to clamp Mizu's mouth shut even more.

"Liar! You had a picture in your locker with a heart frame!" Mizu accused, getting free of Bugei's grasp.

"And… and so what if I do?" Bugei questioned, blushing even more.

"TELL US!" Mizu, Berii, and Haru said together. Kayami just looked bored.

"No!" Bugei exclaimed. Then the bell rang. Bugei muttered "saved by the bell" and they all headed off for class.

Kayami saw Bugei glance at Kageri, with a strange look in her eye. _Well, now I know who Bugei likes. Not that I care. _There was, however, a small twinge in Kayami's heart.

The day passed on quickly and it was time for the honors ceremony. Some people did something somewhere, so they were getting awarded. No one except the people that did it really cared. And even some of those people didn't care.

Kayami walked up on to the stage to get her award. She had participated in the spelling bee last year, and won it. She had gone to the national championships and won that as well. She had gotten the prize of $100 and $1000 were sent to give improvements to her school. The same thing happened with the geography bee.

Kayami had gotten all the awards she was going to get (10 certificates, 3 medals, 2 trophies) so she sat down next to the others, who gaped and looked at every single prize. Then there were screams coming from a nearby building. Up in the sky was something like Katsu, like a harpy.

While everyone else was freaking out, Kayami murmured "let's go" and the four left and came into an alley. Unbeknownst to them, Bugei had followed. She hid behind a dumpster as the four shouted their words for transformation words.

Bugei gaped and fell out of her hiding place. The four were filled with shock as they realized she had seen them transform.

"We'll explain later," Kayami said hurriedly. The four rushed out and started battling the giant bugaboo.

"So _these _are the idiots you've been losing to, _Tenrai?" _a voice said. Tenrai and another male appeared.

This other male had dark blue, almost black hair. His hair was short, about the same length as Bugei's. His eyes were the same color, and narrow. He was wearing the same uniform as Tenrai, except this male's clothes were black.

"This," Tenrai said, his voice coated in malice, "is Sasuga. He's a… cousin, do you call it? He's been assigned to help me destroy you."

"Like that'll work, Tenrai," Berii said indignantly. Sasuga laughed and looked at the four heroines with amusement.

"I forgot, he's been lying to you too!" Tenrai twitched and threatened to punch his team mate.

"Shut UP!" His voice was filled with hate and anger. _What does he mean, lying to us? _Mizu wondered.

"I should tell you," Sasuga said in amusement. "You see, Tenrai is not his real name. He gave it to himself because of what he is. When Leitha Elena parents name a child, the child in question has to go through a test." Tenrai started to attack, but Sasuga blocked him.

"_Tenrai _didn't pass the test. He was the son of slaves, you see- his blood? All slave. By all rights, he should be a slave. In any case, his birth name-" he was interrupted by Tenrai, then knocked Tenrai back and continued. "His birth name was Kaimu. Nothing. Worthless. Because that's all he is. Just a piece of junk. He's just about the only one in the army that doesn't get paid. He's just a worthless slave!"

For the first time, Mizu noticed that Kaimu had scars all over his body. Now that she thought about it, he had scars when she had met him as well. But now he had more.

"How did he get those scars?" Mizu asked.

"Oh, these? From we pure bloods. People with slave blood aren't allowed to fight back. Pure bloods are allowed to do anything to slave bloods with no retribution." As an example, he slashed Kaimu across the face, leaving a huge gash, blood flying out of it. Mizu gasped. Even if Tenrai was evil, he didn't deserve this. Sasuga was even more evil. She now refused to call him Kaimu. He wasn't nothing. Kaimu would fit Sasuga more.

"Stop it!" she cried. "Even if he is an enemy, he doesn't deserve this!" She summoned her weapons, as did the rest of the group.

"Deepsea Dolphin Wave!" Mizu yelled. She aimed at Sasuga, but he dodged it. Sasuga smirked and turned to Tenrai.

"Fight her, Kaimu," he ordered. Tenrai summoned her rod, only this time, it was sharpened on both ends. He snapped it in half, and now held two dagger-type weapons. Tenrai lunged for Mizu, who kept on the defensive.

"Okay, that's it! I'm gonna get this creep!" Berii shouted, glaring at Sasuga. Kayami nodded, then instructed Haru to help Berii.

"I've dealt with a bird quite recently," Kayami said, remembering Katsu. She jumped and attempted to slice the bird in half, but the bird blew wind from its mouth, causing the black haired girl to fall on the ground.

Meanwhile, Berii and Haru battle Sasuga. Berii was very ticked off by his attitude, as was Haru. Their strength was increased, but it didn't matter because the boy just kept dodging. Eventually he held an energy ball in his hand and fired it, causing an explosion to occur. Berii and Haru had managed to dodge the worst part, but were still hit.

Mizu kept blocking Tenrai. She wasn't exactly sure why she didn't attack, but she thought it was out of pity.

_He already has enough scars…_ she thought sadly. She turned her thoughts back to the small battle.

"Tenrai! Don't do this! If you really hate Sasuga so much, then why don't you run away from your race?" she asked. Then, right after an attack, she let her guard down. She gasped and waited for the impact…

But it didn't come.

Tenrai had stopped just before he had hit her. He knew he couldn't hurt her. He looked at her eyes, the reminder of why he was fighting…

"I have to fight… so I can get back something dear to me." His voice was serious, and his eyes were filled with sorrow. "That's why I can't run away."

He was filled with a new strength, and started attacking Mizu rapidly. She could barely block them, and if she slowed down for a second, she would be history.

Bugei suddenly noticed the assault of Tenrai. Mizu could barely keep up… _I can't let this happen! _She thought. Suddenly, she felt something strange.

She looked at her stomach to find… something… glowing. Suddenly the words came to her…

"PURPLE BAT METAMORPHISIS!" There was a flash of light…

Bugei now had bat wings sprouting from her back, with bat ears (yes, bats have ears) sticking from her head. Her outfit was simple; it was a dark purple karate outfit with a lighter purple belt and headband. Her shoes were small, made out of thin fabric and a purple slightly darker than her outfit. Her wings lifted her into the air.

"Purple Bat Axes!" Two giant axes came into her hand, both with purple handles. She landed behind Tenrai.

"Cave Bat Spikes!" She used her axes on the ground, causing spikes from the ground to fly up and attack the fiery alien, who jumped, getting cut by the spikes nonetheless. Bugei flew over in front of Mizu, holding her axes in an attacking position. Tenrai disappeared, and reappeared behind the two.

"Deepsea Dolphin Wave!" Mizu shouted instantly. Tenrai flew back, then straightened up looking ticked off.

Now let's see what Berii and Haru were doing all this time. Sasuga threw another bomb this time, but Berii didn't move, shouting, "BRIGHT RABBIT FLASH!" Her attack countered the explosion, and the two heroines remained unharmed.

"Rabbit's Light!" Berii yelled, and a bright light shone from her wand, causing Sasuga to be blinded for a moment. Haru used this moment to attack.

"Spring Mouse Cross-slash!" she shouted. Sasuga was hit in the back and flew forward. His vision was slightly obscured. Both of them attacked.

"Spring Mouse Cross-slash!"

"Bright Rabbit Flash!"

Sasuga fell to the ground, but quickly floated back up again. He wiped blood from his mouth and gave a small smirk.

As for Kayami, she was battling the sky terror. Whenever she tried to get close, it simply blew her away. _Time for Cat's Eye… _she thought.

"Cat's Eye!" Soon, a pair of pink eyes was staring at the monster. She tried to get close, and used the Cat's Eye to maneuver her way through the wind, without getting blown back. She pinpointed the weak point…

"Demon Cat Strike!" The bird was cut in half, and a horde of feathers fell to the ground. Kayami's battle had taken her away from the others, so she went back to where the battle had begun.

She found Sasuga, rather beaten, and Tenrai the same way. She then saw Bugei, the new addition to the team, standing by Mizu.

"What? You couldn't hurt her, Kaimu?" Sasuga asked, snickering. He teleported right in front of Mizu, and looked straight into her face. He then teleported back to his original position.

"Oh, I see. It's her eyes, isn't it? They're exactly the same," Sasuga murmured. There was a smile that only Tenrai's torment could bring that Sasuga was wearing.

"So she's almost a substitute. I'm surprised you could ditch your little girlfriend that easily, Kaimu. She still seems to-" Sasuga was interrupted, because Tenrai was filled with such rage that he punched Sasuga with all his strength.

"Goodbye, idiot girls," Sasuga said coldly, after recovering from the blow. The two males then disappeared, leaving the girls confused, especially Mizu.

_A substitute..? For who? _She wondered.

The next afternoon

The girls had gotten together for a meeting, and all of them were chatting, except for Kayami, who was reading a book. At that moment the girls were trying to find out who Bugei had a crush on. Bugei just blushed and wouldn't answer. After a while Kayami had had enough of their talking, and decided to end it.

"Do you really want to know?" she asked boredly. The 4 pairs of eyes came to look at her. "It's Kageri." The girls immediately started squealing, and Bugei finally admitted it. She said he was a "punk boy" and was really tough. And although in her mind Kayami didn't really care that Bugei liked Kageri, she knew she felt some feeling. For some reason, she didn't want Bugei to like Kageri. But why?

End of Chapter 7

Hurrah nyaa! Sorry! I've been slacking! I'll begin working on Tears of Memory right away! Must hurry! Bye!

Starfire, logging out


	8. Author's Note

Yes, I know, I should be working on Tears of Memory. Not only that, I said I wouldn't continue this until I got 15 reviews. Then I realized I really wanted to write this part. So… once I get to a certain point (meaning, once chapter 10 is finished) then I will lay out a review thing. But please people! Tell your friends to read this, even if they don't like TMM! And thanks to my FOUR reviewers… -.-;; I need help. Oh, and to Niwa… you're way too dang good at guessing.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kayami, Haru, or Berii. So HAH! I think.

Chapter 8- The Memory

Kayami watched silently, her feet crushing the grass beneath her. A plume of smoke rose into the sky, the fire reflected in her deep black eyes. She soon heard the rushing of sirens as fire engines raced to the charred home that had been destroyed. She merely observed, the wind caressing her hair as she felt pity for whoever had lived there.

Tenrai stared up at the ceiling, worn out from his "job." Closing his eyes, a mental image of Mizu entered into his mind. After that, _she _came into his mind as he remembered how they met.

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He was working on the fields, his hands bloody from the splinters in the wood hoe he was using. What really got him was that the pure bloods had machines that could do this work. They didn't need to torment the lower class…

Soon they were called to change positions. Kaimu hoped dearly he would get a change, but he didn't. He did take this opportunity to take a break, plopping down while using a fence to lie back on. A shadow fell on him and he looked up.

Looked up into a pair of midnight colored eyes.

The girl's hair was sky blue and to her knees. It was tied with a white ribbon. She wore a sleeveless shirt and a short skirt, both in a faded periwinkle.

"You should probably get up soon. Otherwise you'll get in trouble from the guards." she commented, a sweet smile on her face. Kaimu just looked at her.

"Who are you?" he asked wearily.

"I'm Kahen. And you would be?" On her face was a heart warming smile he just couldn't resist.

"I-I'm Kaimu." Kahen's smile became a small frown.

"Now that's not a good name," she murmured. "I'll call you… Tenrai! That's it!" The smile returned to her face, and Kaimu found there was a smile on his face, too.

"But they'd probably get mad at you for calling me that." Tenrai said wistfully. Kahen continued smiling.

"Then I'll call you it when we're alone, silly." Her voice was playful in spite of the fact that a guard was walking toward them.

"Both of you! Get to work!" the guard shouted. Both of the slaves winced as the guard whipped their fleshy skin, and the two scurried to work.

As the workers returned to their cottages, Kaimu heard a knock on his door. He quickly got up, and straightened himself up, thinking it was an official, when Kahen stepped in.

"Hello, Tenrai," she greeted happily. With a sigh of relief Tenrai fell onto his bed. Her hair moving side to side, Kahen sat down next to him, the same smile on her face.

"What's wrong?" she asked concernedly. Kaimu gave a sigh and replied.

"I hate how the purebloods make us work. It's not fair… the only difference is our ancestors… why do we have to do everything for them?" Kaimu growled.

"I don't think any of us like it at all. We all think it's an injustice. But at the same time, we don't want to die. If we rebelled we'd be killed. I think that someday we'll all be free. All I know is that even for one minute, I want to be free." Kahen turned her gaze upon him, and he looked deep into her eyes. She was like a bird, trapped in a cage, unable to spread her wings.

"Kahen…" he murmured, sitting up. Although he only met her that day, he felt a special bond, a special sense, when he was around her.

"Don't worry, Tenrai. Your time will come soon." She softly put her lips to his cheek. Kaimu grabbed her and embraced her.

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Tenrai awoke from his thoughts. In the following months, he and Kahen had kept visiting each other. He had become happier, and become more optimistic. Unfortunately, Sasuga noticed.

And Sasuga didn't like it.

Everyday, after the labors of the slaves, the two would go see each other. But one day there was a knock on the door that changed everything. In stepped Sasuga, followed by 2 guards.

"What do you want, Sasuga?" Kaimu greeted coldly. He had always hated Sasuga, and his malice was increased every time he saw the blue haired alien.

"Ah ah ah! Is that any way to talk to your superiors?" Sasuga asked amusedly. "In any case… the Empress gave me permission to take Kahen the slave girl as my personal servant." A smug look crossed his face. Kaimu's eyes widened.

"What?" he gasped. A look of near horror was on Kahen's face.

"You heard me. She is now my servant. Come with me, Kahen." The girl hesitantly stepped forward, fear in her eyes. Malice surged inside of Kaimu. How dare Sasuga put fear in her beautiful eyes?

He could only watch as Kahen was taken away. He only stood there, helpless, as the one he loved was separated from him. One night, his loneliness got the better of him.

He raced outside, quietly approaching Sasuga's manor. There was an open window, and he glanced in. Sasuga had just left, and alone in the room was…

Kahen.

She was dressed in a beautiful silk periwinkle robe with sapphires dangling from the sleeves and waist. She wore silk fabric periwinkle boots, and her hair was down, a crown adorned with sapphires on her head.

"Kahen!" he whispered. Kahen heard him and rushed to the window.

"Tenrai! You'll get caught!" she muttered worriedly.

"I don't care. How is Sasuga treating you?" Kaimu asked angrily. _Also, why are you dressed like that? _he wanted to ask, but he kept quiet. Kahen gave a small shiver.

"He treats me fine… but that's the thing… it seems like he's treating me…. too well… I don't like it here." she announced finally. "I'd rather hoe the fields…" Her eyes were filled with sadness, longing.

"I'll free you from him, somehow," Kaimu whispered. Kahen heard footsteps approaching.

"Go! Go, Tenrai! Hurry!" she whispered hurriedly. Kaimu set off into the night, dashing around bushes and darting into the village of slaves. Sasuga entered the room.

"Is anything the matter, precious Kahen?" the male asked in a fake warm voice. Kahen closed her eyes.

"Nothing, Sasuga sir." That is what she was required to call him. Sasuga looked into her eyes, then walked out, an odd look on his face.

In the passing months, Kaimu couldn't get to Kahen, for Sasuga had apparently increased his security. Kaimu looked for a blind spot, but found none. Then came the day.

The date of Sasuga's birth. He marched all around town with a few others. When he passed through where Kaimu was working, Kaimu saw her.

Kahen was in the same clothes she had been in when Kaimu had talked to her in Sasuga's manor. Her hair shone in the sunlight, her skin and face without dirt.

But her beautiful eyes had changed.

They were full of sadness, not a speck of happiness in them, blank. Seeing Kaimu, they widened slightly in recognition, and unnoticeable tears fell from her eyes. Kaimu couldn't help it and launched himself at Sasuga.

He was held back by other workers until Sasuga had completely gone. When he got back to work, he worked harder than ever before to let out his blind fury. Sasuga had drained away every bit of Kahen's happiness, and Kaimu thought he could do nothing.

_But I have to try, _he thought. That night, he attacked all the guards in the hangar and flew off with the smallest, fastest ship they had.

For 2 years, he trained on another planet, mastering the four elements, fire, water, earth, and air. Then he headed back to his home planet. He didn't know exactly why he was going, until he realized what he could do.

He could defeat Sasuga.

He could get back Kahen.

He landed in the hangar, and when the guards saw him, he blasted them away with wind. He teleported inside of Sasuga's manor. The guards attempted to stop him, but Kaimu bound them to the wall with earth.

Sasuga's eyes widened as Kaimu stepped into the room, Kahen's eyes filling with tears of joy.

"Let. Kahen. Go." he ordered fiercely. Sasuga, not the great change in power, did not comply to this order.

"Why should I, peasant boy?" Sasuga asked haughtily. "You ca-" Sasuga was interrupted by being blasted against the wall with wind. Kaimu walked over to Kahen and embraced her.

"I knew… you would come…" she said softly, the sadness in her eyes slowly dissipating. A black shadow fell over the two, knocking Kaimu unconscious and pushing Kahen away. It grabbed Kaimu and teleported away.

Kaimu felt himself being tossed onto the floor, and instantly awoke. A shiver ran down his spine as he realized where he was.

He was in the throne room of the Master. He had only seen depictions of it before, but now he could actually feel the cold, dark room.

He could barely see anything, even his own hands. He looked up and saw a stairway, leading to what he thought to be a throne. He couldn't see the inhabitant of the throne, but he knew it had to be the Master.

"I have heard of your skills. That you managed to master the 4 elements. So," she paused here, her smooth voice setting into a hiss. "I would like to recruit you for my army."

Kaimu blinked. He had expected punishment, but… the army? He wasn't sure of this. He decided to find out a bit more.

"Will I get paid?" he asked uncertainly. The figure on the throne seemed to pause to think, then spoke again.

"No. Though, if you assist in the conquest of this new planet, I may give you a prize…" Kaimu thought for a moment. A prize… he closed his eyes and spoke again.

"If I help you conquer this new planet, will you release the slave Kahen from Sasuga's care?" he asked breathlessly. The Master made a soft breath, then answered his question.

"Yes. If you help me conquer Earth, as it's called, I will release Kahen." Kaimu's eyes now burned with determination.

"Then I will serve you."

"You may go now." Kaimu started to walk away, when the strange being called out to him.

"What is your name, young alien?" she asked softly.

"K-" he started to say. Then he stopped. He was no longer the same person. He was no longer Kaimu. He turned to face her.

"My name is Tenrai."

Chapter End

Okay okay okay okay okay. You're probably wondering why I haven't updated in 4960592374 years. It's because 1. Slight writer's block. 2. I'm working on a much longer, much better story (not a fanfic!). 3. I'm addicted to a game. x.x

Anyway… I'm shorry! I'll get the next chappie of Tears of Memory up within a year! XP

Starfire, logging out


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